The Spider and the Fly
by MonsterMonsoon
Summary: "Will you walk into my parlor?" said the Spider to the Fly, 'Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy;" "Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "to ask me is in vain, For who goes up your winding stair can never come down again."
1. Out of the Void

Something had changed in the Subcon Forest. The air was different, tense and strange. Everyone could feel it, from the smallest Dweller to the big bad himself; Snatcher. He felt the change, and he was suspicious. What could have changed?

The Kid? No way. Alien or not, she had visited before many times. No change there.

No. This was...darker.

It was raining. The rain pounded against the forest floor, Dwellers and Subconites hiding inside their hollowed out tree stumps. That was fine, let them have a break.

Snatcher was 'pacing' in his tree, floating in circles. What had changed? What was different? What was the difference to this equation?

" _...haha...Hahahhaaa…"_

Snatcher froze in place, feeling a cold sweat run down his forehead. Immediately summoning two balls of fire - one for each hand - he looked around. "I knew it. It had to be _you._ " the ghost hissed. "Took you long enough to crawl your way back."

" _You and I both know...I have the endurance to survive."_ came a whisper. _"It was only a matter of time before I made my return."_

"Do us both a favor then." Snatcher grinned. "Go die in a hole! No one wants you here, ESPECIALLY not me! I've tried to banish you more times than I can count."

" _Now, now."_ replied the whisper, from right behind him. Whirling around, Snatcher found himself face to face with the presence that had taken root in his forest.

Moonjumper.

The blue poltergeist grinned. _"I can't die. You know this. My existence is eternal, as long as my presence is in this forest, internal."_

Snatcher felt his eye twitch. "God, you and your rhymes. You think you're so smart. Well I can rhyme too, you fart. HA!"

" _Oh my. So clever."_ Moonjumper sighed, sarcastically clapping his hands. _"Truly a virtuoso of the english lexicon."_

"CAN IT, CORPSEY." Snatcher roared. He'd throw a fireball at him, but he really didn't want to set his entire house on fire. "Why are you even HERE?! I control this forest! Not you!"

Slowly floating around the room, Moonjumper laughed quietly. _"Well, it isn't easy to drag yourself out of the void, old friend. I am quite...famished."_ he floated down, sitting in Snatcher's large red chair. _"Now, if you were a good host, you'd offer me a refreshment…?"_

"Out. Of. My chair." Snatcher snarled, pointing a claw at the spirit.

Moonjumper frowned. _"Evidently not."_ he sighed dramatically, floating out of the chair. _"Seems I'll have to find some dinner by myself."_

"You can't have any of the souls I have stashed, AND YOU CAN'T HAVE THE DWELLERS OR MY MINIONS!" he roared.

" _Oh! That was one time! Besides, it's not like they have much going on upstairs anyways."_ Moonjumper grinned, laughing softly to himself. _"And besides...I have my eyes on another dish on the menu."_

"What?"

" _The small girl, who's been wandering the woods. Her soul…"_ his smile grew wider, more malicious. _"...smells_ _delectable_ _."_

Snatcher's face grew darker, and he moved closer. "Moonboy...if you lay a single claw on her...so help me I will tear you apart...and you'll _wish_ you'll be able to die."

" _Oh! If that's what you want, I solemnly promise not to lay a single claw on her."_ the spirit purred. Slowly, one of his hands went behind his back, fingers crossing. _"Although...I am curious as to why you haven't taken her soul yet-"_

"Get out of my tree before I set you on **fire**. You can't touch any Dweller, Minion, and you _especially_ can't touch the girl." Snatcher barked, pointing outside.

Fading away, Moonjumper began to think of a plan. He wanted her soul. And he wasn't about to let a chance for such a powerful feast to slip through his fingers, no.

He _will_ have her soul.

 _ **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Hat Kid hummed as she skipped through the Subcon. But she quickly came to a halt when one of Snatcher's minions ran in front of her. "Whoa, newbie! New rules!"

"New rules?" she asked, tilting her head.

"That's right. Boss says that no one can walk around alone anymore. And he wants to see you immediately! I will escort you." the Subconite nodded, offering his arm for her to hold.

She shrugged, taking the little ghost's arm. "Why are there new rules? Also can we skip?"

"Um, always?" the two began to skip towards Snatcher's tree. "And we're not sure why there's new rules. We think it's because of...the presence."

"Presence?"

"You haven't felt it, newbie?! The rustling of the leaves, the stillness in the air? Something else is here. And it's not good."

She frowned. Had something bad happened? She hadn't seen anything, or felt anything strange…

"Here we are. Got her, boss!" the little ghost announced as they approached the tree.

"Ah! There's the kid. You're dismissed." Snatcher waved his hand dismissively, grabbing her cape and dragging her inside. "So...listen, kid. You understand that this place isn't exactly kid friendly, right?"

"...explain." she said, squinting her eyes suspiciously.

He laughed nervously, looking around. "Well…it's just, this place isn't exactly for kids!...especially since, well. Something is here. And it's a little dangerous"

"What is it?!"

"Don't worry too much, kid. It's my job to deal with it, it's my forest. Look, you beat me, didn't ya? If you can beat me, you have absolutely nothing to worry about." he settled back down in his chair, pulling a book from the shelf. "Just, be careful, OK?"

Hat Kid chuckled, shaking her head. "I don't think you've seen THESE GUNS!" she shouted, flexing her arms. "BOOM, BABY! NOTHING STOPPIN' ME!"

Snatcher couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, alright. Try not to crack your head open. Go do something."

She nodded, running off. What to do first? She thought she had seen some yarn in the treetops-

It started to rain. She had never seen rain in the Subcon before, it was always a cloudy twilight. Opening her umbrella, her run slowed to a walk. Wait, where was she again? She hadn't gotten lost in the Subcon in a while.

" _Oh...won't you come visit my parlor?"_

"Hello?" she called out. "Who said that?" Looking upwards, she could see a red twinkling in the trees above- hey, when did a fog roll in? A thick cover of dark grey fog had covered the area, making her unable to see more than a few feet ahead.

"' _Tis the prettiest parlor...you ever did spy."_ the voice sang, barely above a whisper. Definitely coming from the red twinkle.

She fixed her hat, and started climbing on branches. Keeping her eyes on the twinkling red light, she hopped from branch to branch. "Hey! You there! Singing guy!" she called. She could faintly see someone moving in the branches.

" _Oh!"_ the voice seemed mildly surprised. _"You must forgive me. I didn't know I had an audience."_

Hat Kid finally reached the branch, gasping at the sight of Moonjumper. "A-Are you a ghost?"

He hummed in thought, giving a small smile. _"Partially, my dear. I am a spirit. The term 'ghost' is a very large umbrella term to use for undead."_ he explained.

"Oh. Who are you? What are you doing here?" she asked him, stepping closer.

The figure bowed low, in a regal manner. _"I am Moonjumper. And I live here, little one. The better question is...what are you doing here?"_

"I was visiting a friend." she replied, smiling. What a curious character! Although, certainly not the strangest. And at least he seemed polite.

" _Oh, how kind of you!"_ he praised. _"Your friend must be very lucky to have someone as copacetic as you."_

"Copa-what?"

" _It means 'nice', my sweet."_ he explained. His claws tapped against each other as he floated around, looking her up and down. _"And what is_ _your_ _name?"_

"Um, just call me Hat Kid." she watched him circle around her. "You live here? I've never heard of you before."

He paused for a moment, thinking. _"Well, you see, I am not a very strong spirit. It takes me a lot of energy to become physically visible."_ he smiled at her, showing his fangs. _"It's likely our paths simply never crossed before."_

Something about the way he smiled unsettled her. It seemed...hungry. "Well...does Snatcher know about you?"

Moonjumper stiffened. _"Well...you see, Snatcher frightens me so...I'm afraid he'll kill me."_

Knowing Snatcher, that was a reasonable assumption. "He's not that bad, you know. I know he seems scary, with the fire and the contracts and how he shouts at you, but he's a big ol softie! We're BFFs!"

His smile twitched, and he subtly loomed closer. _"Oh…are you now? 'Best Friends Forever'?"_ his tone darkened, and he chuckled.. _"How..._ _delightful._ _"_

Hat Kid nervously chuckled along, trying to step back away from him. But she forgot she was on a tree branch, dozens of feet in the air. She stepped back to empty air, and started to fall. She screamed as she fell, plummeting down to the ground.

Before she landed with a _splat,_ she felt hands grab her. Looking up, Moonjumper had caught her, saving her.

" _Nasty fall there, you could've hit your head. A fall like that, you'd be quite_ _dead._ _"_ he warned, setting her feet on the ground.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" she chirped, tackling the ghost in a tight hug. The spirit froze in place, smile twitching into a strange grimace. "I hope I can see you again. I hope you're visible next time!"

She let him go, and he went back to smiling at her. _"As do I, my sweet."_ he bowed, watching her skip away.

His smile drew darker. _"For well he knew the silly Fly would soon come back again. So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly, and set his table ready...to_ _dine_ _upon the 'Fly'."_


	2. Burgers

Soul Starvation was a strange phenomenon. It was similar to mortal hunger, but different. It was an awful, hollow feeling in the pit of your stomach. A gnawing, empty feeling that made you feel weak and irritable.

Souls were energy, and Moonjumper had used so much energy crawling out of the awful Void that Snatcher had trapped him in. He needed souls, and very soon. Otherwise he'd fade away forever.

But since Moonjumper was trapped in the Subcon forest, it wasn't like he could go out and eat, no no. He had to wait for someone to fall into his traps, like a spider.

He could see the young hatted child's soul, and it was very tantalizing. The sheer power of her soul would easily refill his energy, perhaps even more so! With her soul...he might even be able to _rightfully_ reclaim the forest as his own.

But he couldn't eat her soul yet. Oh no. He couldn't just yank such a powerful soul out like that. Her guard had to be lowered for that. So he had to be patient, and continue playing the part of her friend.

But what to do with this hunger of his….

Moonjumper hummed to himself, fiddling with his section of the forest. It was just out of reach for Snatcher not to notice, but still _technically_ in the forest. He had covered the several trees and ground in thin red twine, almost invisible to the naked eye.

Smiling to himself, he gently plucked one of his wires, the ripple echoing throughout his trap. _"...perfect."_

"What is this? Strange yarn explosion?" came a voice.

Whirling around, Moonjumper came face to face with a large man in a blue suit and apron. _"...You'll do."_

"What floating man say to Mafia?!"

" _Oh, nothing important. Welcome to the Subcon! How can I help you?"_ he crossed his arms behind his back, in what he hoped would be a non threatening gesture.

"Mafia looking to expand business! Mafia was sent here to spooky forest." he pointed to Moonjumper. "And you will lead Mafia inside! Show Mafia around! Or else Mafia will break mask!"

 _Oh this is too easy!_ Moonjumper's grin grew. _"Well, step right up my large friend! I am an expert of the Subcon!"_

"Good! Mafia did not want to break face today! Bloody hand bad in kitchen-" The Mafia goon stepped into the poltergeist's web, and the moment the man's foot stepped on a red wire, the trap went off. The rest of the red wires all jumped, wrapping around the Mafia who had been foolish enough to trust the spirit.

Strung up like a bug in a web, the man squirmed and tried to scream, but the wires wrapped around his mouth. _"Heheh!_ _HEHEHEHEEHeeeeEEEEE_ _!"_ Moonjumper cackled. _"You FOOL! You've fallen into my trap! And so easily, too! I was afraid I'd be rusty in my craft, but evidently not! Heheeeheheeheh!"_

Before he was unable to gloat anymore, a sharp pain in his midsection made him wince. His form flickered, threatening to make him fade away. Gritting his teeth in a smile, he hovered closer. _"I would_ _love_ _to stay and chat, but I'm incredibly famished."_ with a flick of his wrist, his hand hovered over the man's chest. _"But thank you for your….donation."_

Moonjumper's hand plunged deep into the Mafia man's chest. The screaming stopped, and was replaced with an eerie silence. Moonjumper grabbed the man's soul, ripping the life force out of the mortal.

The man's eyes dulled and his struggling ceased. Nodding to himself, the spirit looked at the soul. It flickered and pulsed like a heart, squirming in his clawed hand. Moonjumper frowned. The soul was much smaller than he would've liked, weak too. For such a burly man, he expected him to have a bigger soul.

But the emptiness in his non-existent gut twisted in pain, demanding the quivering thing.

Sighing, Moonjumper accepted his small meal, popping it into his mouth and swallowing. He felt his form stabilize, and the red wires surged with new energy. Satisfied, if only for a moment.

The lifeless man was unceremoniously dumped to the ground. He hated cleaning up after dinner.

Moonjumper had casually dumped the dead body of his 'dinner guest' out of the way, and had returned to his webs. A vicious cycle; eat souls to power his wires, use his wires to catch prey.

He was caught off guard when Hat Kid returned. "Hi! Um...Mooncatcher? Was it?" she asked, bouncing around like a little bird.

" _Ah! Hello my sweet one. Moon_ _jumper_ _."_ he said, with a hint of a snarl. His name wasn't _that_ hard. _"You were close."_ with a snap of his fingers, he summoned a small tea table and two chairs. _"Have a seat, my sweet."_

It was raining again, but with another snap and wave of his hand, an umbrella appeared over the table.

She sat down in the chair, wiggling to get more comfy, and he hovered down into his chair as well. "I knew I had to see you again. I want to know more about you!"

" _I apologize if our last interaction seemed a bit rocky-"_

"Oh! Oh I got you a present~" Hat Kid interrupted, removing her titular hat and rummaging through it.

" _Oh?"_

"So yesterday, I was getting some _vibes_ from you, man." she said, pulling out a greasy paper bag. "You seemed...really _hungry_."

 _If only you knew._ Moonjumper thought to himself, leaning closer to inspect her gifts. It wasn't gift wrapped like a traditional present, and it smelled like oil and salt. _"Well, the anticipation is killing me, my sweet. Open it up~! Heheheeeehehe!"_

"Tada!" opening the bag, two wrapped cheeseburgers and two packaged sweets spilled out. The ghost's eye twitched, and his smile faltered.

" _...what is it?"_

"They're cheeseburgers! From the moon!" she unwrapped hers, and pushed his towards him. "I got you a double cheeseburger because you seem hungry-"

" _No, no, no. What is, a 'cheeseburger'?"_ he asked, feeling a bit lost. Judging from the smell, it was food of some kind. Leaning closer, he hesitantly poked his wrapped up burger. It was still warm.

"Oh! Oh...really?" she asked, a touch of pity in her voice. "It's a sandwich with a patty of cooked meat and lots of cheese and pickles."

He understood the concept, but in practice he was lost. What did she want him to do, exactly?

She took his burger, unwrapping it for him. It was larger than hers, with two patties and absolutely oozing with cheese. It was greasy and looked a little unappetizing to him. She handed it to him, and he reluctantly took it.

"Here you go! Um…" Hat Kid noticed the confused frown on his face. "You know how to _eat,_ right?"

Moonjumper scoffed. _"Of course I know how to eat! I'm not an imbecile!"_

"Um..what does-"

" _I'm not a fool."_

He understood the _concept_ of eating, but he was rusty in practice. He watched his 'friend' start to happily munch her burger, glancing back at her, and back to his food.

 _I'd rather have your soul than_ _this_ _._ He thought to himself, grimacing as he peeled the rest of the wrapper off. He glanced back at her, as a reference. Mimicking her, he took a small nibble out of the greasy sandwich.

It...It was delicious!

Despite it's unappealing, greasy appearance, it was heavenly. Salty and wonderfully cooked, the melted cheese was a lovely touch - it was really good.

Pleasantly surprised, Moonjumper took another small bite. Next to him, Hat Kid had a smug grin. "I knew you'd like it~" she smiled, returning to her quickly vanishing sandwich.

He nodded, humming in content as he took another small bite. Souls were a bit...bland now. They certainly didn't taste like this. They didn't taste like anything.

"Wow you eat slow. Well when you're done, I got you a treat!"

" _What else is there?"_ was she implying that the burgers weren't enough?

"You gotta finish your food first before dessert!" she chirped, rocking back and forth on her chair. Then she turned to her treat.

In the packages were Moonpies! He glanced at them, then back to her. _"...Was that intentional?"_

Hat Kid nodded, smiling. "Yep! I saw them at the store and couldn't help it! It's chocolate cakes!"

He nodded, taking a large bite from his burger. There was a soft rumbling noise, something that caused her to start giggling. "Are you purring? Like a kitty cat?!"

He swallowed nervously. _"...perhaps so. What of it?"_

"THAT'S SO FREAKING CUTE!"

Moonjumper glanced away, embarrassed and irritated. _"I am not cute. That is not a fact to dispute."_

"Cutie patootie! Don't act so snooty." she started laughing. "You're rhyming is rubbing off on me!"

" _I maaaay have that effect...on people who's brains are_ _specks_ _!"_ Moonjumper's smile grew before he took his final bite of the burger, and grabbing the Moonpie.

"Haha- wait, did you just call me dumb?!" Hat Kid squeaked, her face red with anger.

" _Oh relax-"_ Before he could calm her down, there was a beeping noise. The girl started digging through her hat, pulling out a watch.

"Oh shoot, I'm late for filming. I'll see you soon, OK? Even though I'm still mad at you because you called me dumb." she hopped out of her chair, smoothing her dress and fixing her hat. "Bye Mooncatcher!"

" _MOON._ _ **JUMPER**_ _."_ he shouted after her.

Moonjumper sighed, the table and chairs vanishing. No more need for the facade of friendship. The rain began to increase, but he didn't mind. He liked the rain.

He looked down at the pastry, still clutched in his hand. Snarling, he threw it into the bush.

She wasn't his friend. She was food.

Nothing more.


End file.
